Grave vault



.'l.' A. JENSEN May 2, 193.3.

GRAVE VAULT 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 25 1931 INVENTOR: James f2 Jeff/.s en

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J. A. JENSEN May 2, 1933.

GRAVE VAULT 1951 5 SheetS-Sheet 2 Filed June 25 INVENTOR: mes fl Jensen May 2, 1933. f J, A, JENSEN 1,906,318

GRAVE.` VAULT Filed June 25, 1951. 3 Sheets-Sheet .3

INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May I?, 1933 UNrIED STA TES PATENT OFFICE JAMES A. JENSEN, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE. To 'QUAKER oITY IRON WORKS, OE PHILADELPHIA,v PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF 'PENNSYL- VANIA GRAVE Application filed .Tune 26 This invention relates to grave vaults.; and it has reference more ...particularly to metallic grave vaults of the type wherein one end is open forfintroduction of the burial casket;

Considered in its broadest aspect, my invention is directed toward provision of simple, reliable and efficient locking mechanism wherebythe doors for the end openings of vaults of the type specifically referred to, may be effectively locked with assurance of a perfect seal all around to preclude in .gress' of moisture.

Another object of my invention is to af ford, in Connection with vault vlocking mechanism having the Vabove vindicated attributes, automatically loperative latch means adapted, ,incidentl to closure of the vault door at the time of interment, to permanently secure theloclzing mechanism against subsequent actuation. v

Stillrother objects and' attendant advantages of this invention will be manifest from they following detailed description. oi the attached drawings, wherein Fig. I .isa side elevation of a grave vault embodying the present improvements.

Fig. Il is an elevation of the right hand end (as considered in Fig. I) of the vault.

Fig III is a cross sectional view on a larger scale, taken as indicatedV by the arrows III-III in Fig. I, showing the end Y door of the vault closed and locked.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary sectional view, taken as indicated by the arrows IV-V-IV in III, and drawn to a larger scale.

Figs. V and VI are fraggfrnentary detail sectional views taken as, respectively, Vindicated by theV arrows V-V and VI-VI -in Fig. III.

Fig. VIIis a cross' sectional view of the vault, like Fig. III, but with the locking mechanism in unlocked position.

Fig. VIII is afragmentary view on a still larger scale, featuring, more particularly, the vlatch means whereby the locking mechanism is permanently secured after the vault door is `closed at the time of burial.

Fig. IX is a' detail sectional view taken VAULT Y 193i. serial No; 547,030.

as indicated by the arrows l VIII; and Y.

Fig. X is a view `similar to Fig. IX, but with a keeper of the latch removed to permit the latter tofunction.`

The grave vault herein,illustrated has a body 1 which is constructedfromsheet metal y with straight bottom and side walls 2, 3 and 4, andV with an arched top. 5'. yThe left hand endA (Fig. I) of thevbody 1 is closed by a wall V6 which( is` permanently united to the bottom 2,y the sides 3, l and thetop 5 by riveting or welding; but the opposite or right hand end of .said body 'is byhinges 8 comprising `components) and 10 which lare'resp'ectively secured totheV door and the body 1. From Fig. IV itwill benoted that'the pintles 11 of the hinges'S .snugly t the bosses of'` the. ,hinge components 9 on the door, and pass through elongated a-pertures12 in the Vears of the companion components 10. This'construction obviously permits a certain amount of lost play inthe Vhinges 8', which is yessential for a purpose later on explained; After common` practice, the vault body vlis'equipped with suitable 'liftmhandles 13,14, 15 and 16,`

along opposite sides and ends.

vReferring again to'Fig. IV, it willbe observed that the door 7 closes againstla compressible gasket 17 which is lodgedvin a recess aiforded by "a perimetric angulanlflanger member 18set into the open end of the vault body `land united to 'the wallsof'they latter bv'over edge weldii'ig as indicated'con'ventionally 4at 19.

vrEhe novel mechanism whichl I have del:

vised for lockingthe vault is carried on the back of thel door`7', and as shown in Figs. III, IV and VII comprisesy four locking, elements 20, 21, 22 and 23. At 'their outerends,

these `locking' elements 20, 21, 22 and23 are, respectively, provided with bolt projections 20a, 21a, 22a` and 23d havingguidance in correspondingly spaced aperturesof angle bars24, 25, 26 and 27 secured to the door 7 adjacent the edges of the latter. At their inner ends, the locking elements 20-23 are formed with longitudinally open yoke shanks 2Gb, 2lb, 22?) and 23?), and from said Shanks project lateral studs 20c, 210, 22e and 230. The studs 20c, 230 and 21o, 220 of the opposite locking elements 20, 23 and 21, 22 engage longitudinal guide slots 28, 29 respectively near the ends of arpair of crossed .bridging straps`30 and 31. As shown,` the foot portions 32, 33 of the bridging straps 30, 31 extend through the open yokes v266+ 235 of the respective locking elements 20, 23 and 21, 22, and are secured tothe back vof' the door 7. The actuating means for the ldoorflocking mechanism includes a disk 35 with oppositely projecting axially- Valigned trunnions 36, 37. The trunnion 36 projects loutward through an opening 38l in the door 7, and, as shown in Fig. IV, its protruding Vend'issquared as at 39 for application of a wrench or other suitable operating implement. The inner trunnion 37 of the fdisk 35, on the other hand, has journal support at the intersection of the two bridging straps 30, 31, see Figs. III, IV .and VII.

The disk 35 is in the present instance held kagainst axial shifting in the assemblage by 'means of cotter pins 40 and 41 engaging through the ends of its trunnions 36, 37. Adjacent its periphery, the disk 35 is provided with four equally-spaced laterallyprojecting studs 42,- wliich, through coupling links 43, are respectively coordinated with the studs'20c, 210, 220 and 230 of the locking elements V20, 21, 22 and 23.

'To'lock the vault, the operating imple ment is applied at the exterior of the door 7 to the squared end 39 ofthe trunnion V36 of 'the disk 35, and turned to rotatev the disk inthe direction indicated by the'arrow in Fig. VII. As ai'esult,the four locking elements 20, 21, 22 and v23 are radially projected concurrently to the position shown in Fig. III,.so that tl eir bolt ends 20a., 21a, 22a tand 23a engage behind the perimetricv flange Y 18 adjacent the opening in the vault body 1.

Now it .will be particularly noted from Fig. IV, that the tips of theblt yends 20a, 21a, 22al and '23a of the .locking elements are beveled for wedging action with the flange k18 to draw the 'door 7 firmly against the cornpressible perimetric gasket 17, this action being permitted by virtue of the afor.e described frere play `in the hinges 8. 'Thus,

with'locking of the door 7 the vault is effectively sealed against subsequent ingress of` moisture. Incident'to unlocking of the lockingmechanisin, the rotation of the disk 35 lis limited through engagement of a stop lug`35a thereon with the bridging strap 30, as shownin FignVII.V l,

To permanently secure the V vault upon closure of the door 7 at the time of burial, I have providedV an automatically operative finger spring 49 whereof the coil encircles the pivot pin 47. To ordinarily prevent the latch 46 from functioning, a keeper in the y`t`orin of a cotter pin 50 is passed through registering apertures on a pair of outstanding lugs 51 at the opposite side of the shank 23?) of thelocking element 23 to intercept thelatch 46, as shown in Fig. IX, the said cotter pin being provided with a ring 52 for the purpose of quick and easy withdrawal.

lUpon removal of the cotter pin 50 with the locking mechanism in unlocked position, the latch 46 will be released to rest against the outer face of the strap 30 as in Fig. X. Vhen the door 7 lis finallyclosed and the locking mechanism actuated at thetime of interment, the latch 46 Will-slide along the bridging strap 30 incident to movement of the locking element 23, and will be ultimately thrust, by its spring 49, behind the shoulder end 53 of the said strap as in Figs. III,`

V, IV'and VIII. lVith this accomplished, it is evident that theivault door 7 isfnot only securely locked and sealed, but the locking mechanism itself permanently secured against the possibility of being actuated thereafter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: v Y v 1. In a` grave vault including a body open atone end to receive a burial casket and having a perimetric angular flange set into said open. end; a hinged -door tol close the open ing, and locking mechanism at the back of the door compris-ing radially-slidable.mein bers 'with outward bolt projections. torespectively engageA thelangular flange, and

also embodying inwardlongitudinally open yoked Shanks, apertured angle bars on the door to guide the` bolt projections of the said members, crossed bridging straps also on the door to engage thelongitudinal openings iii the Shanks of the said members; and

means whereby the locking mechanism can be operated `i'rom the exterior ojf thel vault.

2. In a grave vault including a body open at one end to receive a burial casket and havjing a perimetric angular flange set into said open end; a door to close the opening,`and locking mechanism` at the back of the'door com rising radiali -slidable lockinoV mem# bers with outward bolt projections for en- Y gaging the angular flange, said locking members having longitudinally-open yoked shanks, crossed bridging straps with Vfoot portions secured to the inside and reaching through the longitudinal openings in the yoke Shanks of the locking members, and an actuating element for the locking members rotatably journalled at the juncture of the bridging straps.

3. In a grave vault including a body open at one end to receive a burial casket and having a perimetric angular flange set into said open end; a door to close the opening, andk locking mechanism at the back of the door, operable from the exterior of the vault, comprising radially-slidable locking members with outward bolt projections to respectively engage the angular ange, said locking members having longitudinally open yoked Shanks, bridging Straps secured to the door and having their Jfoot portions reaching through the longitudinal openings in the Shanks of opposite pairs of the locking members, studs on the locking members engaging guide slots in the bridging straps, and an actuating element for the locking members rotatably journalled at the juncture of the bridging straps. Y

et. In a grave vault including a body open at one end to receive a burial casket and having a perimetric angular flange set into said open end; a door to close the opening, and locking mechanism at the baok'of the door, operable from the exterior' of the vault, comprising radially-slidable locking members with outward bolt projections and longitudinally-open yoked Shanks, bridging straps secured to the door having their toot portions reaching through the longitudinal openings in the Shanks of opposite pairs of the locking members, studs on the locking members in engagement with guide Slots in the bridging straps, an actuating element rotatably journalled at the juncture of the two straps, and coupling links connecting the studs on the locking members with the rotary actuating element.

5. In a grave vault including a body open at one end to receive a burial casket and having a perimetric angular flange set into said open end; a door to close the opening, and locking mechanism at the back of the door, operable from the exterior of the vault, comprising a slidable locking member with outward bolt projections having bevelled portions for engaging at the back of the angular flange, a spring influenced latch pivoted on the locking member adapted, as the latter is shifted into locking position, to automatically engage a fixed part on the door, thereby to render the enclosure permanent, and a split cotter passing through registering apertures of lugs projecting from the locking member in the path of movement of the pivoted latch, designed for removal at the time of burial, to normally prevent unctioning of the latch under the action of the spring.

6. In a grave vault including a body open at one end to receive a burial casket and having aperimetric angular flange set into said open end; a door to' close the opening, and locking mechanism on the back of the door, operable from the exterior, comprising radially guided locking members having outward bolt projections for coaction With the liange aforesaid and longitudinally-open yoked Shanks, crossed bridging straps having their foot portions secured to the doorl and reaching through the longitudinal openings in the yoke shanks of opposite pairs of locking members, and a pivoted latch on one of the locking members, adapted, as the locking mechanism is operated, to automatically drop over the end of the corresponding Strap, thereby to render the; closure permarient.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania, this 19th day of June, 1931.

JAMES A. JENSEN. 

